Howells shared his vision with The Times, expressing a desire to transform the landfill site into a public park. However, the council’s report indicates that this concept may not be practical. Furthermore, the council emphasized that there are no suitable alternative locations for the proposed solar farm, which necessitates the use of the landfill site to meet the city’s sustainability objectives.

In the event that converting the landfill into a park is not feasible, Howells suggested the possibility of clearing the area for its repurposing as a landfill once again.

However, Newport council seems disinclined to consider his proposal, mirroring their previous dismissal of his offer to share bitcoin revenues in exchange for permission to excavate the site. When queried about Howells’ latest suggestion, a council representative referred The Times to a 2023 statement that reiterated the city’s position—that Howells relinquished ownership of the bitcoins the moment his hard drive was discarded in the landfill and that pursuing excavation would incur “prohibitively high costs.”

“We have consistently communicated that we cannot assist Mr. Howells in this matter,” the spokesperson remarked. “Our stance remains unchanged.”

Howells argues his proposal is reasonable

In response, Howells conveyed to The Guardian his astonishment upon discovering the city’s plans to close the landfill, reportedly set for the 2025–26 financial year. He stated that this detail was not disclosed during the court proceedings, during which the council argued that “closing the landfill” for his search “would severely impact the residents of Newport.”

“I anticipated the landfill would close in the next few years since it is 80–90 percent full, but I was not expecting an imminent closure,” Howells informed The Guardian. “Should Newport city council be open to it, I would be interested in acquiring the landfill site ‘as is’ and have already discussed this possibility with potential investors. This option remains very much in consideration.”